Caution was yesterday thrown to the winds at the Silver Bird International School, Agip, Mile 4, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, when parents and family members of a Junior Secondary School (J.S.S.)1 student, identified simply as Favour, allegedly assaulted a female teacher, Sonia Amadi, on allegation of ‘inappropriately’ disciplining their child.
The parents later locked the school Administrative officer, identified as Joy Ajayi, in her office, and threatened to flog her too.
The Guardian learnt that it took the intervention of other parents to prevent the family who had physically assaulted the female teacher from beating up the Admin officer.
Narrating the incident in a telephone conversation, the Admin Officer said: “This morning, I was in my office when three boys marched into my office, locked my office door and threatened to flog me.
“One was about to flog me, while the other one picked a scissor we use for school works, and threatened to stab me, under the guise that his brother was flogged in the school.
“All the teachers came out and started pleading that there was no need for them to go to that extent, but they refused to open the door.”
“There was a parent inside the office with me, we were resolving an issue when they came in. So, the parents started begging them that they should calm down.
“They were in my office for more than 20 minutes, my teachers were outside trying to get inside but they could not.
“They were threatening to flog me, and asked that I should go and report them to the Police and my lawyer. I told them that I have the right to defend myself and that they should allow me to talk.
“While I was talking, their father came, and asked them to open the door. They opened the door, and their father said he wanted to go with his family to come back later.
“The same people who came to my office had already accosted my English teacher, Sonia Amadi and flogged her mercilessly. She was flogged mercilessly and the mother of the boy also slapped her.”
When contacted on phone, the mother of the child refused to comment on the incident and dropped the call after introduction.
Also, she was yet to respond to text and WhatsApp messages sent to her phone at press time.
Meanwhile, the School Management has lodged a formal complaint at Ada George Police Division where the teacher was issued a medical form to proceed to the clinic for treatment.
Commenting on the incident, National Coordinator of Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, Prince Wiro, condemned the alleged assault on the female teacher and invasion of the school by the student’s family
Wiro stated that the parents of the student should have reported to the Ministry of Education if they felt their child was treated inappropriately or the Police in case of physical assault rather than taking laws into their hands.
The rights advocate called on the Police to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident and anybody found culpable should be made to face the law.
